Falling In Love With The Right People
by Hal710
Summary: It's Christmas in Konoha! Love just HAS to be in the air. And it is...but will the Naruto gang fall in love with the right person? NaruIno SasuHina NejiSaku ShikaTen Rated T just to be safe.
1. Strange Encounters

**Hi everyone! Ok, so this story doesn't have any OC's in it, just the regular Naruto cast. It does have weird couples, but I've always wanted to write a fanfic with strange couples. (naruino sasuhina nejisaku shikaten). It is sort of a Christmas fic, even though it's not christmas anymore.**

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"H-hi, Naruto-kun," Hinata stuttered as she walked up to the hyperactive bombshell on the training grounds. Naruto looked up from his position on the ground and got up wearily. 

"Oh, hey Hinata," Naruto smiled happily. "What are you doing here?"

"U-um…I was j-just wondering i-if you could help m-me train…" She asked shyly, her fingers crossed behind her back.

"Well…I was just finishing up, but if you really want me too," Naruto said reluctantly, and if you knew Naruto like Hinata did, you could tell he had ramen on his mind.

"Or…We could train t-tomorrow…"Hinata relented, looking downcast. Naruto smiled happily.

"Yeah! That would be great! So, um, I'll see you tomorrow?" Naruto asked, already walking away. Hinata gave an almost imperceptible nod, and knew, as always, that Naruto would forget about training. She watched him walk away, and then turned around, only to run face first into the Uchiha prodigy.

"Oh…sorry, Sasuke-san." Hinata whispered softly before walking around him.

"Hey, Hinata." She heard Sasuke call.

Hinata slowly turned around, confusion plain on her face. Since defeating Itachi, Sasuke had come back to Konoha, trying to become more of a person and less of a…well…stoic emo idiot. Still, he had barely talked to Hinata even before he betrayed his hometown. _What could he want to ask me? _Hinata wondered.

"I kind of, uh…overheard you speaking to Naruto, and I heard you needed help with your training. I could help, if you absolutely needed it," Sasuke was putting a major effort in just getting the words out of his mouth. He didn't want to seem like he _wanted_ to help, but he was offering. It's the thought that counts.

But Sasuke didn't understand. Hinata didn't need help with her training, she had Kiba and Shino for that. All she wanted was some quality time with Naruto, maybe getting to know each other a little bit so something would eventually happen between them, but Naruto being the dense boy he is, it couldn't happen until she was with him. Which didn't happen quite often, or at all in fact.

Hinata was momentarily shocked into silence. "Uh…um…T-thanks, Sasuke-san, but u-um, it's no big deal. Thanks t-though." she answered, recovering herself. Sasuke tried to hide his small amount of relief. He turned around and continued walking on as if nothing had happened.

Hinata speed walked back to the bustling crowds of Konoha, willing herself to get lost in them.

She spotted Sakura walking in her direction on the other side of the street.

"Sakura!" Hinata called, waving to her friend. Sakura looked up from the paper she was reading, and smiled, walking over to Hinata.

"Hi Hinata! What's up?" Sakura asked.

Hinata eyed the paper. "What's that?" she said, trying to peer over Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura quickly folded the paper in half and slipped it in her pouch.

"Nothing," Sakura said quickly. Too quickly.

Hinata gave her a pointed look. "Come on, Sakura. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Sakura reluctantly pulled the paper back out and unfolded it.

"It's a love note from my 'secret' admirer," Sakura giggled, putting quote-marks around the word 'secret'.

Hinata took the paper from Sakura's hand and read it.

Dear Sakura,

The flame of youth

Burns bright in you

Your eyes have the most youthful color

Green, just like someone's outfit

I will protect

With my life

Your Secret Admirer

Hinata rolled her eyes. "Lee?" Hinata asked, laughing for her friend. Sakura just gave her an expression that clearly said "Duh".

"Did he give it to you in person?" Hinata asked, still giggling. A strange look crossed Sakura's face.

"No," She answered.

_Flashback_

"_Hey, Sakura!" A stoic voice called from behind the pink-haired kunoichi. She turned around and saw…Neji._

"_Neji?" Sakura asked. "Um…do you need something?"_

"_Yeah, I'm uh…supposed to give this to you…" Neji muttered, pulling a small piece of paper out of his pocket._

_Sakura took it carefully, fully expecting it to be a paper bomb. She cautiously opened it, and read it, surprise becoming more pronounced on her face for every line she read._

"_Uh…Thank you? It's very sweet, Neji…"Sakura said, unable to think of something else to say once she had finished._

_Neji's eyes got wide as he realized what Sakura was thinking. _She thinks it's from me_, he thought. _

"_No, it's not from me, it's from someone else…" Neji said clearly, and Sakura relaxed quite a bit._

"_Oh, ok then, thank you!" Sakura said, then turned and started walking away. _Now that I know it's not Neji's, It has to be Lee's. But, I wonder how Lee got Neji to do this for him…_Sakura pondered this for a while._

_End flashback_

"Neji?" Hinata asked when Sakura was done telling her what happened. Hinata giggled. "I wonder how Lee got Neji to give that to you…"

"That's what I was wondering, too. I bet it has to be Gai-sensei who made Neji give it," Sakura said, being the smartest of the two (A/N: Not that I don't think Hinata's smart, it's just Sakura is "supposed" to be the smart one).

"Probably…or Neji could have a crush on you…" Hinata said slyly, teasing. Sakura giggled, and a faint pink stain appeared on her cheeks.

"No! I barely ever talk to him, besides I don't even know him besides the fact that he fought Naruto in the Chunin exams and lost. I like Sasuke, anyway…" Sakura added, now blushing.

Hinata remembered something. "Oh yeah! Sasuke came up to me after I asked Naruto to train with me, and he offered to train with me, although I think he really didn't want to…" Hinata said, studying Sakura's reaction.

Her reaction was totally not what Hinata expected. Her eyes lit up, and she smiled happily.

"I'm so happy! He took my advice!" Sakura said excitedly. "I told him to be kinder to people if he wanted to change his old personality, and pretty soon if he tries enough, it will become effortless for him. Then, maybe…he'll start to like me!" Sakura giggled.

"Hey! Forehead!" Came a female voice from behind the duo. Sakura and Hinata turned around and saw Ino waving at them.

"What?" Sakura asked, already annoyed.

"Well…I had to use your nickname because I'd been calling your name but you wouldn't answer." Ino sighed. "Sounds like you girls were talking about something serious. Spill." she commanded, spotting the paper.

Sakura sighed, knowing she could never hide something from her best friend. "Ok here," she relented, handing her the paper, all the while explaining what had happened and who had given it to her.

When the whole scenario was finished, Ino was nodding knowingly. "You're probably right. Neji would never give that to you."

"Gee, thanks…" Sakura said sarcastically.

"You know what I mean," Ino snapped.

"So um…do you guys want to do something? I don't have any missions tonight or tomorrow…" Hinata asked. Sakura and Ino thought for a moment.

"I don't have any either. Yeah, let's have a…sleepover!" Sakura shouted, startling other passerby.

"Me either! Ok, we'll have it at Hinata's house because she has a mansion, and I'll go invite Tenten and we'll stay up all night long!" Ino instructed, using her bossy attitude once again.

"Um…okay then I'll meet you guys at my house," Hinata said, then walked off, closely followed by Sakura.

* * *

Ino walked towards her house above the flower shop, Tenten trailing behind.

"Ok, so tell me what's happening again?" Tenten asked, looking confused as she followed Ino's confident strides.

"We're having a girls' night aka sleepover at Hinata's mansion. That's about it," Ino said again. Tenten still looked unsure, mostly because it wasn't everyday the girls all had sleepovers. "Don't worry, it'll be fun!" Ino encouraged as she opened the door.

"HEY INO!" she heard someone yell from behind her. She quickly turned around and saw Naruto running down the street towards her and Tenten.

"Naruto?" Ino asked confusedly when he reached them.

"Can I come in really quick, please? I need to buy something…" Naruto asked somewhat sheepishly.

_Naruto wants to buy some flowers? _Ino wondered, but waved him inside.

"You go upstairs, I'll meet you there in a minute," Ino murmured to Tenten who nodded, but grinned slyly.

"Um…can I help you, Naruto?" Ino asked as Naruto searched high and low for something.

"Yeah! I need a new plant because my old one died…" Naruto said.

"A new flower, you mean. We only sell flowers here…" Ino warned him. _He grows plants? I didn't know that…_ Ino thought.

"Oh…only flowers? Not ferns?" Naruto asked, looking up from the rose he was looking at.

"Uh…yeah, sorry," Ino apologized without really knowing what she did wrong.

"Ok then…I guess I'll just be leaving," Naruto said standing up and walking towards the door. "Thanks though, Ino. Good night!" he said with a smile before walking out the door.

Ino walked up the stairs towards her room where she _thought_ Tenten was waiting, but she found her on the stairs listening in on her and Naruto's conversation.

"Tenten," Ino said threateningly. "What are you doing on the stairs?"

"I was uh…coming down to see if you were…coming up to your room because I got bored up there alone," Tenten said nervously, fearing Ino's reaction. Ino just shrugged it off, mostly because it was a pretty good excuse.

"So, just let me get my stuff and then we can leave…" Ino said, walking past Tenten.

Tenten saluted Ino lazily then followed her up the stairs.

"Hey, Ino…Do you like anybody?" Tenten suddenly asked, and Ino stopped suddenly on the stairs, Tenten running straight into her back. "Uh…Ino? Earth to Ino?" Tenten said, prodding her in the back.

Ino turned to face her and smiled like a girl with a secret. "Later Tenten. Later," was all she said before walking the rest of the way up the stairs.

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**Hope you liked my first chappie! I know i didn't have Tenten talk to Shikamaru yet, but i promise it will happen. Second chapter coming soon! (I just have to type it...again T.T' hehe)**


	2. Sleepover

**Hey! Here's the second chapter! Hope you like!**

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"Shut up, Tenten! You don't know what you're talking about!" Ino slapped Tenten on the arm as they sat in the middle of Hinata's floor. It was 1 o'clock in the morning and none of the girls were tired. That may have had something to do with there seventeen year old metabolisms or the caffeine in their veins.

"Oh yes I do!" Tenten giggled. "You know it!" Hinata and Sakura were giggling along with Tenten as Ino sat there pouting.

"You like Shikamaru, and you know it!" Sakura chuckled as Ino blushed.

"Hey!" Tenten suddenly shouted. Everyone turned to look at her with confusion on their faces.

"What is it, Tenten?" Hinata asked. Ever since the four of them had become even closer friends, the first task of friendship they had accomplished was to cure Hinata of her stuttering. Alas, it didn't work all the way through. Now, Hinata only stutters around people she likes or people she isn't close to. Like Naruto or Sasuke.

"Where's the bathroom?" Tenten asked sheepishly, sweat dropping.

"Uh…Down the hall, turn the corner and it's the last door." Hinata said. Tenten got up and walked out with out another word.

Tenten walked down the hall, wrapped up in her own thoughts. _I never thought a sleepover would be so much fun… I mean, I know we've had some before, but not in a while, I-_

WHAM!

"Ouch!" Tenten yelped as she fell to the floor, having run face-first into someone or something while turning the corner.

"Geez, troublesome…" She heard a male voice say. She looked up from her position and saw Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru? What in the world are you doing at Hinata's house at one in the morning?" Tenten asked incredulously as she got up and brushed herself off.

"Neji and I just got back from a mission…" Shikamaru said, looking tired.

"And…?" Tenten waited for him to continue.

"I was tired and my house is far away so Neji offered me to stay here." Shikamaru finished. He seemed to just realize he was talking too, however, because he looked at her closely. "What about you? What are you doing here?"

"Me? Oh, Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and I are having a sleepover…" Tenten said.

"A sleepover?" Shikamaru asked, confused, as if he'd never heard the word.

"Yeah, but uh…I gotta go to the bathroom. So, um…bye." Tenten said, already walking away.

She reached the bathroom and did her business. _Man…I am so tired_, she thought as she walked back down the hall. All the lights had been turned off, so she had absolutely _no_ idea where she was going. She thought she turned a corner and into Hinata's room, but she was wrong. Where she really was, but didn't know, was in a room. Not just any room, but a room with a person in it.

She stumbled, half-blind until she found a bed near a wall. _I guess they're already sleeping. Geez, how long was I in there? Well, I am pretty tired. I guess I will just go to bed, too. I did call the bed, though, so no one should be in it, but whatever. _

Tenten climbed in the bed with person in it (that she thought was Ino), and fell asleep.

-Meanwhile-

"Geez, where's Tenten? She's been in the bathroom for a long time…" Hinata asked, getting worried.

"Maybe she fell in," Ino giggled.

"Or constipated," Sakura added, also giggling.

"I'm serious, you guys." Hinata gave them an exasperated look, but then she got a BRILLIANT idea. "Let's go scare her when she comes out!"

Ino and Sakura agreed immediately and they all left the room quickly, Hinata their guide. But when they reached the door to the bathroom, it was open and dark.

"Wha-? Where is she?" Ino asked, disappointed. She had obviously been looking forward to scaring the pants off of Tenten.

"Maybe she did fall in…" Sakura asked, surprised.

"Geez, Sakura, and I thought you were smart…" Ino said smacking her forehead.

"Maybe she's in that room," Sakura said, pointing to the room Tenten was in.

"No, she's not in that room. That's Neji's room," Hinata sighed.

Sakura suddenly gasped. "What if…Neji seduced her when she walked out of the bathroom and she went in there with him?"

"NO! Neji would never do that!" Hinata said. "Don't go in that room…" She warned.

Too late, though. Ino was already walking into the room, Sakura closely behind. Hinata followed them, trying to stop them.

"Guys, if he catches you-" Hinata started, but stopped when Ino flipped the light switch.

What she saw wasn't Neji, but Tenten and…

"SHIKAMARU?! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING IN BED WITH TENTEN?!" Ino screamed, running over and hitting him on the head with a pillow.

"OW! What the heck?" Shikamaru woke up with a start, rubbing his head. Tenten drearily woke up from all the screaming.

"What's going on?" She asked, rubbing her eyes that were trying to adjust to the now bright light. She turned her head to the source of the noise and found Shikamaru laying next to her.

"What the-? Shikamaru? Why are you in my bed? What are guys doing?" Tenten asked, confusion plain on her face.

"You're in my bed! Neji gave me his room to sleep in for the night!" Shikamaru practically yelled.

"So…Why am I in here?" Tenten asked. Ino had finally stopped hitting Shikamaru, and Sakura and Hinata were listening with interested faces.

"I don't know! I just woke up from Ino hitting me, and you're laying in the same bed as me. Geez, this is troublesome. I'm going to bed…again. Goodnight," and just like that, he fell asleep.

Slowly, Tenten got up from the bed and the four of them walked out wordlessly. When they reached Hinata's room again, they were still silent. Finally, Ino couldn't take it anymore.

"So…" Ino started, and everyone turned to look at her. "What exactly happened?"

"It seems as if when I got back from the bathroom I thought I turned the corner but I ended up going into Neji's room where Shikamaru was and I fell asleep there. It was an accident, I promise." Tenten managed to explain in one breath.

"Really? That's a relief. Don't you think so, Sakura?" Ino breathed, turning to Sakura. "Sakura?" Ino asked looking at her closely. She was looking down sadly, her eyes shaded.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked concernedly for her friend, putting her hand on her shoulder.

A single tear fell down Sakura's cheek and then she started giggling. Everyone looked at each other with the same expression on their face: What. The. Heck?

Sakura looked up and started laughing some more. "How old are we? We're seventeen, right?" she asked, and everyone nodded, fearing for Sakura's sanity. "You know what I just realized? We're…alone." Sakura said, and she stopped laughing for a quick second before giggling ridiculously again. "How stupid is that? We're seventeen, yet we've never been in love or had a boyfriend…"

Ino, Tenten, and Hinata's eyes all got wide as they realized she was right. Ino's eyes went shaded over again, and Tenten just got annoyed and said a faint 'humph'. Hinata blushed fiercely and looked down.

"B-but you k-know why, Sakura. We just…don't have time anymore. Plus, it's not completely our fault. If anything, it's the boy's fault. They are the one's who haven't even thought about girls yet. If they don't think about us, then there's no point for us to even keep going…" Hinata consoled the rest of them, and their expressions lit up a little, but they were still depressed.

An hour later, the girls were still up. No one was talking or even moving, yet they weren't asleep. Hinata had retrieved some ice cream and cookie dough from the freezer, and she and Ino were eating it. Sakura and Tenten were hooked on a chick flick that was playing on Hinata's mini-TV.

"Ugh…Guys, I'm sorry for bringing you all down. This night could've been fun if I hadn't of pointed those things out…" Sakura rubbed her temples.

"No, it's okay, Sakura. You were right," Hinata added, taking a bite of chocolate ice cream.

"Yeah, it's not completely our fault that we can't find love. We can't find it if no one else is looking, like boys," Sakura consoled herself, and the rest nodded.

What the girls didn't realize was that Neji had been listening in on their conversation when he had walked back from the bathroom.

"…we can't find love. We can't find it if no one else is looking, like boys…" He heard her say, and his eyes got wide.

_Love…?_

_

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_

**I like this chapter. Hehe. Don't worry, the Christmas stuff will be coming in the next chapter. All i have to do is type it... T.T'**


	3. Christmas Mission

**Finally! The third chapter! Sorry for the wait. Hope you like!**

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"Can you believe it? In one week, it will be Christmas!" Ino sighed, her eyes getting all dreamy. "Just think of all the presents we will get!"

"Is that all you think about? The presents?" Sakura asked, raising her eyebrow. A blood vein appeared on Ino's head.

"NO, it's not, billboard brow!" Ino yelled.

"Ino-pig!" Sakura retorted, a blood vein appearing on her head too.

"SHUT UP!" Tenten yelled next to them. Sakura and Ino looked down bashfully, and snuck quick glances at the men sitting across from them. Sakura, Ino, Hinata(who hadn't spoken a word since they got there), and Tenten were all sitting and waiting in Tsunade's office. Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Neji were all sitting across from them, looking bored.

"Hey, Hinata, what do you want for Christmas?" Tenten turned to Hinata.

"I don't know what I want. Maybe…" Hinata didn't finish, but glanced at Naruto and blushed fiercely. Tenten grinned knowingly and nodded her head.

From the other side of the room, the Uchiha prodigy looked up from the floor. _Hinata doesn't stutter when she talks to her friends…?_ He wondered. You _may_ be wondering why only Sasuke Uchiha, the stoic chicken head, had noticed Hinata doesn't stutter around her friends. That's because A) Neji had already heard Hinata speak like that, so he was used to it, B) Shikamaru was too bored and truthfully couldn't care less, and C) Naruto was…how shall I put this nicely…_dense_, so he thought Hinata talked the same all the time, or he just hadn't heard at all.

Sasuke stared at Hinata weirdly, and saw she was blushing. _Why's she blushing?_ Sasuke wondered, looking away. 

On the other side of the room, Hinata had noticed a pair of eyes on her, but when she looked over, no one was looking at her. _That was weird…_ She thought to herself, but the sound of her name said by Ino got her attention.

"…Hinata would love that! But how could we get Naruto to give her something?" Ino was saying. Hinata blushed like a tomato and pretended she couldn't hear what they were saying. 

"Alright, you brats. Time for more missions." Tsunade walked into the Hokage's office, her cheeks pink and her words slurred. She was drunk, no surprise. 

"WHAT! Missions one week before Christmas?" Naruto complained, outraged.

"For once, I agree with that knucklehead. Why are we getting missions now?" Ino yelled.

"SHUT UP!" Tsunade roared. The two blondes shut up immediately. "They are missions that have to do with the holidays! We're having our very first Christmas dance here in Konoha and we need things to be prepared. You eight are going to help us prepare for the dance. Got it?" Tsunade asked, even though they had no choice. They nodded and waited for her to continue. 

"Ok, so, I'm going to pair you off, boy and girl. You will receive your missions after that." Tsunade said, pulling out a piece of paper with the names on them. "First, Ino and Naruto." The blondes jaws dropped in surprise.

"Me? Work with Naruto? You've got to be kidding!" Ino yelled, pointing at him. Naruto slapped her hand away, but didn't say anything. _She scares me…_

Tsunade gave them a pointed glance and they shut up once again. "Next: Neji and Sakura." Sakura's eyes widened considerably. _Neji? _She glanced over at the stoic Hyuuga prodigy and he met her eyes. She gave him a small smile and he shifted his gaze back to the Hokage. 

"Third: Tenten and Shikamaru." Tenten perked up at her name, but slumped once again when she realized who her partner was. _Great…I got lazy man as my partner. Plus, after what happened at the sleepover, he probably thinks I'm insane…_Tenten sighed inwardly and looked at Shikamaru. He was sleeping. _Did he even hear what Tsunade-sama said? Nah, probably not. I'll have to tell him later…_

"Lastly: Sasuke and Hinata." Hinata's eyes widened. _Sasuke? Naruto's best friend?_ She quickly peeked up at the Uchiha and saw he was staring at her. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks and she looked back down.

"Alright, come back here tomorrow at noon and you will receive your missions. You're dismissed." Tsunade waved a hand at them and they all quickly left the room, going their separate ways.

A faint knock sounded on Tsunade's door.

"Enter." 

"Did you give them their 'missions' yet?" The man walked in carrying a very perverted book. Tsunade grinned evilly and smiled.

"Hai. Mission: Holiday Love, is a go!" She replied, and the man smiled behind his dark blue mask.

* * *

"Welcome back, you eight," Tsunade said. Her cheeks were no longer pink, so Shizune must have made her stop drinking. She put a hand over her mouth and gave a small smile as the eight took a seat again.

"Ohayo, Tsunade Baa-chan!" Naruto smiled happily. "So what's Ino and mine's mission?" He got right to the point.

"Don't rush me," Tsunade warned, cracking her knuckles. "Ok, Naruto and Ino have the task of finding Christmas trees and putting them up at specified points around Konoha. Sasuke and Hinata are to put up lights all over the main buildings. Neji and Sakura will put up wreaths and other decorations in windows and such of the main buildings." Tsunade finished.

"What about Shikamaru and I?" Tenten asked, thinking Tsunade had forgotten them.

"Oh yes, I need you two to stay after because you have a _special_ job," Tsunade smiled wickedly.

"What a drag…" Tenten heard Shikamaru mutter from where he was sitting.

"Ok, Naruto and Ino go see Kakashi-sensei for your information. Sasuke and Hinata go to Kurenai-sensei, and Neji and Sakura go to Guy-sensei," Tsunade said in clear dismissal. Six of them got up to leave, leaving Shikamaru and Tenten behind. 

"You two, come up here," Tsunade beckoned them forward, and Shikamaru and Tenten wearily got up from their seats and stood before the Fifth Hokage.

"What's our mission?" Tenten asked, fearing the answer as Tsunade grinned up at them again.

"Your mission is to raise money for the dance."

"That's it? That's a relief. I thought-" Shikamaru started, but Tsunade raised her hand.

"You, Shikamaru, are going to have to dress up as Santa Claus and let little children sit on your lap while they tell you what they want for Christmas. Tenten is going to dress up as Santa's helper and give the kid's candy when they get off Shikamaru's lap. You also have to take the pictures of the kids on Shikamaru's lap." Tsunade finished. There was a moment of shocked silence, mostly on Shikamaru's part, before Tenten burst out laughing.

"Shikamaru…h-has to dress up a-as Santa Claus?" She managed to gasp out, still giggling.

"Are you serious? I am _not_ doing that. You cant pay me enough," Shikamaru stated in a flat out 'no'.

"Oh yes you are. It's either that or…" _What's worse than dressing up as Santa Claus?_ Tsunade tried to think of something worse for Shikamaru to do. "Or you have to sing at the dance in front of everyone."

Shikamaru's mouth fell open to the floor and he fell over anime-style. Tenten was still laughing until Tsunade handed her a box.

"This is your costume." Still grinning, Tenten opened up the box and pulled out a…dress. If that's what you could call it. It had a red jacket that showed some of her stomach with white fur around it and a mini-skirt and black boots.

"WHAT! You expect me to wear this in this weather?" Tenten angrily asked. Shikamaru had gotten up from the floor and was staring at the costume, a wry grin on his face.

"It's going to be inside, so don't worry," Tsunade waved her problem away.

"So this is all we have to do on the night of the dance?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes, but you only have to do it for three hours during the beginning. This coming week your other mission is to decorate the place where the dance is being held." Tsunade informed them. 

"Where's the dance being held?" Tenten asked.

"The Ninja Academy. The students don't have school this week so no one will get in your way. You two are to meet Asuma-sensei tomorrow at the academy for all your instructions." Tsunade said. "You can leave now." Tenten and Shikamaru got up and walked out the door.

"There's another costume in there too for Shikamaru!" Tsunade called out to them when they were at the door. Tenten removed her costume from the top and spotted Shikamaru's Santa suit sitting there. Tenten giggled again and Shikamaru sighed.

"Troublesome women…" He muttered, shutting the door behind them. The two started walking down the steps towards their homes.

"Do you think everything's troublesome?" Tenten suddenly asked.

"No. Clouds aren't, and neither is sleep. _Women_ are," Shikamaru stated.

"And how do you expect to get married if you think all women are troublesome?" Tenten asked knowingly.

"I'll find someone. She's going to be neither ugly nor pretty. Just lead a normal ninja life," Shikamaru shrugged. 

"Listen Mr. Lazy, I got news for you. The woman you're going to marry isn't going to be neither_ ugly _nor _pretty_ to you. She's going to be_ beautiful _in your eyes, and ugly or pretty to everyone else." Tenten said. "You have got a _major_ flaw in your plan."

Shikamaru watched her back as she turned to go down the opposite way to where she lived. She was right. _Jeez, why did she have to point it out? She just made things more troublesome for me…_

"See you tomorrow!" Tenten called over her shoulder.

"Yeah. Tomorrow." Shikamaru replied, walking to towards his house.

* * *

**Sorry this chapter wasnt very long. But the other next one will hopefully be longer! the next chappie is about Ino and Naruto christmas tree hunting. R&R!**

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	4. NaruIno and the Christmas Tree

**Here's the NaruIno Chapter! it's waaaaaay longer than the others. i think its 12 pages or something. hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Ugh. Kakashi-sensei is late again!" Naruto complained leaning against a tree. Ino and him were both standing at the edge of a forest near Konoha. Kakashi was supposed to meet them there at noon, but he had yet to show up, and it was two in the afternoon. Big surprise.

"Well, duh, Naruto. You should know that. After all he is _your_ sensei," Ino stated, sitting down on the frost covered ground, only to spring right back up because of the cold.

Naruto glared at her._ Why did I have to be stuck with Ino? _He wondered to himself. Ino caught him glaring and childishly stuck her tongue out at him.

"Sorry I'm late, guys. There was this dog that got lost and I had to-" Kakashi walked up to them, using an _extremely_ lame excuse.

"SAVE IT, KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Naruto yelled.

"Yeah! We know there was no dog!" Ino huffed.

Kakashi looked the two of them over. _Is this whole Holiday Love mission going to work? They don't seem to be getting along very well…_ Kakashi shrugged it off and smiled beneath his mask.

"Ok, so here's your task. You are to find four pine trees and put them right here where I am standing. When you are done, I will tell you where to put them around town for the dance. Any questions? Oh yeah, and the trees have to be big. No little baby trees that wont be able to hold up an ornament." Kakashi informed them.

Naruto saluted Kakashi. "Yes, sir! Come on, Ino! We're off!" Naruto started marching through the forest and Ino gave Kakashi a glare before wearily following the orange-clad ninja through the trees.

"Naruto! Wait up!" Ino called out to him as he marched on ahead, whistling. He turned around and tapped his foot impatiently as Ino jogged up to him. 

"Hurry up! We don't have all day!" He said when she was next to him.

"Technically yes, we do," Ino corrected. Naruto rolled his eyes and continued walking. The two blondes walked around in silence for a while, each looking for a suitable Christmas tree.

"What about this one?" Naruto pointed to a medium-sized pine tree that had fallen over. Ino studied it and sighed.

"Jeez, and they call me stupid…" she muttered before turning to Naruto. "Naruto…THE WHOLE HALF OF THE TREE IS BURNED OFF!" she yelled in his face.

"Oh…" Naruto said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Well it looked good from a distance." He defended. "And I'm not stupid! You're stupid!" 

"I'm not stupid! I'm not the one that thought that half a tree would suffice for the dance!" Ino retorted. The two glared, then started to walk again, a heavy silence weighing between them.

A chilly wind blew the snow up and around them from the ground, and the leaves rustled, covering the sound of a chuckle. _This is not going as well as planned. I will have to step in and do something…_ Kakashi thought as he watched the two make their way over fallen trees and twigs.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" He whispered to himself and a replica of him appeared beside him. He then did the transformation Jutsu and turned him and his clone into two teens, boy and girl.

Kakashi and his double jumped out of the tree and moved about three feet ahead of Naruto and Ino. The real Kakashi, being the boy transformation, slid his arm around the girl replica. (A/N: Technically, he's putting his arm around himself. LOL!)

He then walked right in front of Ino and Naruto, laughing all the way as the girl replica flipped her back in a flirty way.

"What the…?" Naruto asked as he stopped to let them pass in front of him and Ino. Ino walked up beside Naruto after tripping over a root and was about to give him a piece of her mind before seeing the "couple."

"Who're they?" Ino whispered. Naruto shrugged and watched as the "girl" gave the "boy" a hug.

Kakashi whispered to his replica just loud enough for Naruto and Ino to hear. "They're such a cute couple. Both blonde and blue eyed." The replica giggled girlishly.

"Wha-?" Naruto blushed lightly. "Oh no, we're not a couple. We're just friends." Naruto cleared up.

"Oh well, that's too bad. You two look so cute together!" Kakashi laughed.

Ino looked shocked. "Me and _Naruto_? Are you sure?"

Kakashi got an evil glint in his eye as he thought of an idea. "Yes I'm sure. Two dumb blondes are the perfect couple." he said nonchalantly.

Ino immediately went red. "Two DUMB blondes? You better watch who you're calling dumb, you bas-" Ino started, but was stopped by Naruto running in front her and tried to punch the boy.

Kakashi smiled and he and his replica disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Where'd he go? Come out and fight like a man, you coward!" Naruto's yell rang through the trees, answering silence.

"It's no use, he's gone, Naruto…" Ino said dully. Naruto huffed and turned back to her. "You ok, Ino?" he asked, seeing her downcast eyes.

"Why do people always think blondes are dumb?" Ino suddenly blurted. Naruto looked shocked, but he smiled.

"I don't know. They're probably just jealous of us and how much fun we have. It's not about what hair color you have anyway, its about your personality. Brunettes can be dumb too, even black haired people. Like Sasuke-teme," Naruto shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess your right…" Ino sighed. "I'm just tired of everyone assuming that I'm dumb. Sure I have my moments, but everybody does."

"Yeah. But we're not dumb! We're cool! Besides they've never met you, so they don't know what they're talking about," Naruto smiled a cheesy smile, and Ino couldn't help but smile back. _Maybe Naruto isn't so bad after all…He just has his moments too…_

The two walked in silence for a while more, each deep in thought and looking for a tree. Finally, they spotted a _whole_ tree that was the perfect size. 

"Um…how are we supposed to get it back to that spot?" Ino asked, looking unsurely at the tree. "How are we even supposed to cut it?"

"Well…we could try kunai…"Naruto suggested, but was quickly shot down by the glare given to him by Ino.

"Kunai will never work! Baka!" Ino yelled exasperatedly. "They're too small and the cant cut the bark fast enough…" Ino thought about an idea.

"We could always use a Jutsu…like Rasengan," Naruto shrugged.

"You would probably destroy the tree," Ino pointed out, and Naruto smiled.

"Probably. But then, how are we going to do this without some sort of cutting tool?" Naruto asked earnestly. Ino looked at him, and almost blushed. He was looking at her earnestly, like a deer caught in headlights. His cerulean eyes were wide and glassy, and he had a cute chibi smile. _So cute!_ Ino thought without realizing it.

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask, hiding in the tree again. He suddenly jumped out and landed in front of Ino and Naruto, breathing heavily as if he had just run a long way to find them.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to give you something, you guys. Here's something to cut the trees with. Just concentrate your chakra into it and it should be a clean slice," Kakashi handed them a wide katana, just the size for a regular sized tree trunk. Kakashi smiled, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"That was weird…" Naruto stated. Ino nodded dumbly.

"Ok, so do you want to cut it, or do you want me to do it?" Naruto asked Ino.

She shrugged. "You can."

Naruto nodded and held onto the katana with both hands. He channeled his chakra through his hands into the sword, making it glow a sky blue color. Naruto took one swipe at the bottom the tree, and the katana went through like a knife through butter. The tree started to tip sideways, heading towards Ino.

"Ino! Watch out!" Naruto called, and seeing that Ino wouldn't have time to move before the tree crushed her, Naruto sprung into action. He jumped over to her and picked her up bridal style before the tree came crashing down right where Ino would've been. Naruto blushed a light pink at the position Ino was in his arms. He noticed Ino wasn't looking to comfortable either.

Ino was too stunned to move. Naruto had just saved her a lot of pain. She doubted a tree could kill her, but still.

"U-um…Thanks, Naruto." Ino murmured. Naruto smiled cheerily and shrugged.

"No problem," He gently let Ino go and she stood up. "Ok…so, how are we supposed to get the tree back to that spot? Isn't it to big for us to carry?"

"No, I don't think so. If you got on the end, and I got in the front, we should be able to do it." Ino answered as she took a hold of the trunk of the tree and tried to lift. She managed to lift a foot off the ground before dropping it on her foot.

"OW OW OW OW!" Ino cried, jumping and holding her foot. "It HURTS!" She complained.

"Ino, are you okay?" Naruto asked coming over to her as she plopped onto the ground. "Why'd you have to drop it on your foot? Now we'll never get it back!" Naruto groaned and bent down next to her.

Ino flushed. "It's not my fault! Well, kinda, but you could've come helped me pick it up!" 

Kakashi sighed at Ino's…lack of common sense and appeared in front of the two again. He smiled and waved as the two blondes stared at him blankly.

"I'll take this tree!" Kakashi grabbed the front of the tree. "From now on, just leave the tree where you cut it down and I will come get it." And disappeared again in a puff of smoke, taking the tree with him.

"Do you think he's following us?" Ino asked confusedly.

"Nah, I'm sure he's just doing this from Tsunade Baa-chan's orders or something," Naruto answered.

"Hehe, maybe if this all works out, I can show Naruto some of the things in Icha Icha Paradise for Ino," Kakashi chuckled perversely to himself, as he hopped from tree to tree, having given the one Ino and Naruto cut down to the Hokage already. He grabbed out the naughty orange book and…

WHAM!

…hit a tree. "Ouch."

* * *

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Ino asked exasperatedly as she rubbed her foot.

"Can't you heal yourself?" Naruto asked.

"I haven't learned how to heal bones and stuff yet, so no." Ino answered.

"Try walking on it."

Ino slowly got up on one foot and tested her weight on the other. Pain shot up her leg and she cried out.

"No…I can't walk on it." Ino stated the obvious and plopped down on the ground.

"I guess we have no choice," Naruto said, and Ino's eyes widened. _What…?_ She didn't get a chance to think much more because Naruto hoisted her onto his back.

"Wha-? I don't want a piggy-back ride!" Ino protested, trying to get down.

"It's the only choice we have. Unless you can think of a better one?" Naruto asked.

Ino thought for two seconds before sighing in defeat and gingerly put her arms around Naruto's neck.

* * *

Ino sighed on Naruto's back for the fifth time. The thing the "girl" (really Kakashi) said, kept coming back to her and making her depressed. Not the dumb blonde thing, but the other one. The one about _her_ and_ Naruto_ making a good_ couple._ _Naruto and I? That's not even possible! I would never like Naruto like that! _But then his face from earlier came back to her and she couldn't help but blush lightly. _Cerulean eyes…_

Ino sighed again, and Naruto groaned.

"Quit sighing! It's starting to get on my nerves!" Naruto said in an annoyed tone. "What are you sighing for anyway? Is it really that bad being on my back? Because I can put you down and you can try to walk yourself…" Naruto threatened.

"No…I'm just thinking…" Ino answered dully.

"Well, either tell me or stop sighing. The next time you do I will drop you. We only need one more tree. Don't make this even more difficult then it has to be. Besides I'm hungry. I want ramen!" Naruto complained, rubbing his belly.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Fine I'll stop sighing."

… "_You look so cute together!" … _Ino started to sigh, but quickly stopped herself. 

Naruto heard the small outtake of breath and suddenly dropped Ino on the cold ground.

"Ow! What was that for?" Ino yelled, a blood vein appearing on her head.

"You sighed again! Tell me what you're sighing for!" Naruto yelled back exasperatedly.

"Why did the people think we were a cute couple together?" Ino blurted before she could stop herself. Her eyes went wide and she flushed. "I mean, do you think we look like a couple?" she said softer.

Naruto's eyes shot open in surprise. _That's what she was sighing about?_ "Um…Here, get on my back again." Naruto bent down, and Ino climbed somewhat shyly onto his back again.

It was quiet for a minute before anyone spoke. "We're two pretty cool people right?" Naruto suddenly asked.

Ino looked at him weirdly. "Um…Yeah?" She said, unsure of how to answer.

"Well, two cool people look cute together as a couple. Plus, we were alone in the forest, and you're a girl, and I'm a boy, so that's what they would naturally think. We also have the same hair and eye color. Besides, I would never like you like that." Naruto said, laughing.

Ino's eyebrows went up. "Are you saying you think you're too good for me?" She asked dubiously.

"Uh…No. I was saying I just like you as a friend and nothing more."

Ino barely heard him. Her infamous temper was coming into play now. "Listen here, buddy. If I really wanted you as a boyfriend, I could get you. Understand? Besides, I'm way out of your league." Ino said haughtily, smiling triumphantly.

"I'm out of _your_ league? Yeah right! You're the one who brought up the subject, so you must want me pretty bad!"

Ino's eyes narrowed. "You wish, baka! I only like cool men, like Sasuke-kun."

"Oh yeah? Well I only like _pretty_ girls, like Sakura."

"Sakura?" Ino snorted. "What do you see in her?"

"Well, what do you see in Sasuke?" Naruto retorted.

"He's handsome, cool, mysterious…I could make a list of fifty things."

"Name them. All fifty things that _you_ like about _Sasuke Uchiha_."

"Fine, I will! Like I said before, he's hot, mysterious, cool…um…different, smart, awesome, handsome, cool…" Ino foundered

"You already said cool!" Naruto laughed triumphantly. "You can only think of like five things, two of which are saying that he's 'hot'."

"Well, then how about you make a list of things you like about Sakura!" Ino said, trying to get back at him.

"She's kind, funny, pretty, fun, smart…um…" Naruto foundered, just like Ino.

"Doesn't she like…hate you though?" Ino asked.

"Doesn't Sasuke like…hate you, too?" Naruto imitated Ino.

Ino flushed. "He doesn't hate me! He secretly likes me. He just…doesn't know it yet…"

"Uh-huh, sure." Naruto answered. Ino huffed and refused to talk for the rest of the time.

After twenty minutes of walking in a depressed silence, Naruto couldn't take it anymore. 

"Do _you_ think we would make a good couple?" He suddenly asked.

It was a good thing he was facing forward, or he would've seen her face flush red in embarrassment. "No, of course not." She scoffed.

"Oh…" Naruto sighed. _If Ino says Sakura hates me, and Ino doesn't like me? Then who ever will?_ Naruto became very depressed. (A/N: Naruto is still too dense to notice that Hinata likes him.)

Ino noticed his change of mood and inwardly groaned. _Great…now I made him feel bad._ "It's not that I don't think we would make a good couple, it's just…" Ino tried to search for words.

Naruto grinned. "Are you saying you want to be a couple?" 

"No! I mean…no, not right now. I mean…um…" Ino flushed again.

"So you want to be a couple in the future?" Naruto grinned slyly. He was enjoying messing with her head.

"No, not at all…It's just…Agh! Naruto stop it! You're doing that on purpose!" Ino gently slapped him on the face, and giggled when she saw his hurt expression.

"Jeez, Ino. I didn't know you were so cruel," He sniffed, pretending to be hurt.

"Oh, stop it, Naruto." Ino giggled.

Just then, Naruto's stomach grumbled, and Ino could've sworn the grumble said _ramen._

"Let's just get this last tree and get out of here we can eat."

* * *

"So, Ino, I guess I will see you later? Unless…" Naruto said. The two were now outside of the hospital, having found all four pine trees for the party and quickly healing Ino's foot. They couldn't find Kakashi anywhere to see where they should put the trees so they just left.

"Unless…?" Ino pressed.

Naruto blushed a light pink. "Unlessyouwannagetramenwithme?" He said too quickly to understand.

"Huh?" Ino asked, confused.

"Unless you want to get ramen with me," Naruto said slowly. "Not like a date or anything…" He added quickly.

"Oh! Um…sure. Let's go!" Ino smiled and led the way to Ichiraku's. 

When they finally reached the stand, they pulled back the cloth and walked in.

"Hey old man! I want miso ramen!" Naruto shouted. 

"I'll have the same," Ino said. The old guy smiled.

"You two on a date?" He winked. Naruto and Ino both blushed light pink and glanced at each other.

"No," Ino answered for Naruto. His mind seemed to be completely absorbed on the ramen that was just put in front of him. He laughed joyously and got chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu!" He yelled, then quickly dug in. Ino sweat dropped, and dug into her own ramen.

When the two were finished, Ino paid because Naruto didn't have any money on him at the moment. 

"Hey, Ino, Naruto!" A voice called behind them. They turned around and saw Kakashi walking towards them, his book out in front of him.

"I'm glad I caught you guys. I need you to put the trees in the area for the dance." 

Naruto and Ino groaned. "Where do we put them?" Ino asked.

"Follow me." Kakashi said, and started to walk away. The blondes looked at each other and quickly caught up to Kakashi. 

The three ended up on top of the Hokage's building. Ino and Naruto gasped. The whole roof had been transformed. There was a raised dance platform in the middle and lights were strung around the edges of the building. The four Christmas trees lay in middle of the whole thing, just waiting to be put up. A stage was raised in the back, attached to the dance floor. Decorations were everywhere, like wreaths and…_mistletoe._

"What did you do to it?" Naruto asked.

"We made it ready for the dance!" Kakashi said cheerfully. "All you have to do is put the trees up where the X's are around the roof." Then he disappeared.

"Well…Let's get to work." Ino said, cracking her knuckles.

"Just don't drop it on your foot again." Naruto warned jokingly, and Ino slapped him on the arm playfully. 

"I'll be extra careful this time."

Naruto went over to a tree and dragged it across the dance floor to the other side and set it up in the stand that was put there for them. Ino followed suit and dragged a tree away towards another X.

An idea struck Ino. She grinned mischievously, and just like the first time, dropped the bottom of the tree, making it look like she hit her foot. 

"OW OW!" She yelled, grabbing her foot and falling on her butt. Naruto looked over at her and saw what she did.

"Ino! I thought I told you to be careful! Ugh, you're so stupid!" He yelled, walking over to her. 

Ino suddenly stood up, completely fine, and punched Naruto in the face.

"Haha! Got you!" She laughed. "And don't call me stupid!" She added.

Naruto sat up, an anime style bump forming on his head. "You know what Ino?" He asked her.

"What?" Ino asked, still grinning. Naruto dragged himself up and got grabbed the tree he had dropped.

"I actually think we might make a good couple, because I love pranks too!" He turned his head to look at her, grinning and blushing, leaving a shocked Ino staring back.

"In your dreams, Naruto."

* * *

**Hope you liked! The next chappie is gonna be NejiSaku. it might take me a while to updatebecause i'm going to my dads house for the rest of the week, so i might not update until about next week. R&R!**


	5. NejiSaku and the Decorations

**Here's chapter 5!! Hope you enjoy!! Sorry for the late update! :D**

* * *

"HELLO MY YOUTHFUL STUDENTS!" Gai exploded as soon as he spotted Sakura and Neji walking towards him.

Sakura glanced at Neji to see his expression about Gai's outburst. His face remained unfazed, but his eyebrow gave a small twitch.

"Does he do that a lot?" Sakura asked quietly to him. Neji glanced at her and nodded his head. She sweat dropped as she saw Gai running towards them, arms outstretched and manly tears flowing down his face.

Sakura sidestepped the green clad ninja and watched as he shot in between her and Neji and tripped. She sweat dropped again, and glanced at Neji. He was now shaking his head in shame.

"So…Gai-sensei…Where do we start?" Sakura laughed nervously. Gai jumped up and laughed.

"Ah, eager to start, are we? Are you sure you don't want to be alone with Neji?" Gai winked and wiggled his monstrous eyebrows. Sakura blushed lightly, and Neji twitched again.

"I'm pretty sure I want to get started!" Sakura shouted angrily, punching Gai in the head, who fell to the ground, an anime-style bump growing on his head.

Neji looked over at her, somewhat surprised. _Only Tenten hits Gai-sensei like that without feeling bad…_ He said thoughtfully, staring at Sakura. She was breathing heavily and had steam rising off of her fist.

"So," She flipped her hair backwards, "shall we start?" She asked, an innocent smile on her face as if she hadn't just punched the most youthful teacher in the history of youthful teachers.

"Yosh! We shall put up all the decorations in the spirit of Christmas! Come, follow me!" Gai yelled, and started to march towards the Hokage building. Sakura and Neji followed somewhat reluctantly, trudging their feet.

The two walked in silence behind Gai-sensei for a while before Sakura couldn't take the awkwardness. "So…Neji…" She started, and Neji looked at her emotionlessly. Sakura almost lost her nerve staring into his unfathomable silver eyes. "How do you…put up with Gai-sensei everyday? I mean, he's really…energetic. So is Lee, right? I, personally, wouldn't be able to stand the constant yelling."

Sakura looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. "You just get used to it, I guess." He answered nonchalantly. Sakura sighed. _Of course that's all he's going to say. He's just like Sasuke-kun. Always stoic and emotionless. At least Sasuke is starting to show some emotion. I know! Today, I will try to get some emotion out of him. Like a smile, or a tear, just something. It will be my personal mission; Mission: Get emotion out of Neji. _Sakura inwardly cheered for herself for her brilliant plan.

"Hey, Neji. I have a joke for you. Naruto told it to me yesterday and I laughed so hard I nearly cried." Sakura said, smiling and looking at the Hyuuga expectantly. _I hope this works_… Sakura thought. "Ok. Why didn't the sailors play cards?" She asked, her eyes shining. Neji looked at her, doubt plain on his face about the fact that this joke was supposed to be _funny_.

"Because the captain was sitting on the deck!" Sakura literally laughed out loud at the stupidest joke known to man.

Neji rolled his silver eyes and continued walking. _Darn, that didn't work. What will it take to get Neji Hyuuga to smile?_ Sakura thought frustratingly in her mind. _Was the joke not funny? I'll test it._ Sakura then walked up to Gai and told him the joke. He burst out laughing when she was done.

"That was a good one! Where did you hear that one?" He asked, still laughing. Sakura grinned triumphantly and turned around to give the peace sign and stick her tongue out at the annoyed Neji. _I knew it was funny! He just has problems! But that doesn't mean that I still won't get some emotion out of him. Besides annoyance, that is._

The three ninja finally reached the Hokage tower where the dance was to be held and walked up to the roof. It was empty, with no decorations or anything at all on it.

"Are we supposed to decorate all of this?" Sakura asked dubiously, walking around the empty space, her hands on the railing.

"Yes! It will be a most youthful experience!" Gai yelled, giving the good guy pose. "But first, you have to go down to the warehouse on the other side of town and get all of the decorations and carry them back here. It will probably take more than one trip. So get started!" He said cheerfully and waved before leaving in a puff of smoke.

"That was helpful," Sakura said sarcastically. "Where is the warehouse, anyway?" She asked Neji.

"I know where it is. It's next to the training grounds, kind of. If it's not there, then I can just use my Byakugan to find it." Neji replied, and started walking away. Sakura followed somewhat reluctantly.

The two walked side by side in silence past people walking in Konoha, until Sakura couldn't take it. "Sooooo…" She started, trying to find something to say. "Your Byakugan…It can see through things right?" She asked.

"Yes, I can see chakra points in the persons body." Neji answered.

"But do you always look _through_ things or can you see, like, through trees?" Sakura asked, finally finding a way to get emotion out of him. She grinned evilly, hiding a snicker. **Cha! We're so gonna get him!** Inner Sakura yelled.

"I can see through trees and through things." Neji answered cautiously, afraid that Sakura was going somewhere else with this.

"So…" Sakura grinned slyly at Neji, who raised his eyebrows. "Can you see through clothes? Like…Oh, I don't know…Girl clothes?" Sakura grinned knowingly at him.

Neji scoffed. "No, I cant see _through_ clothes. I guess I could if I tried, but I don't." His face was still an emotionless mask. Sakura inwardly groaned in frustration.

"But you can see through walls and stuff, right? So can you look through…The hot spring walls?" Sakura grinned at him again. _She just can't seem to stop grinning. What is she getting at?_ Neji thought.

"Yes, I could. But I don't. I'm not a pervert." Neji said, smirking.

"Uh-huh…" Sakura said in a voice that clearly didn't believe him.

"I'm not. I don't look at naked girls." Neji said. Sakura burst out laughing. (A/N: I actually burst out laughing when I wrote this too. Just imagine Neji saying that. Of all people…)

"What's so funny?" Neji inquired, annoyed.

"I…d-don't know! Just the way you said it. 'I don't look at naked girls'. Funny…" She laughed. She sighed, grinning.

"It wasn't that funny…" Neji said in an annoyed tone, somewhat embarrassed.

"How would you know?" Sakura asked, her tone suddenly serious. "You don't show emotions, so how would you know if it was funny? I bet Tenten would've laughed, even Hinata. Maybe even Naruto! But you wouldn't know…because you don't even smile or show emotion." Sakura glared at him.

Neji seemed taken aback. "Why do I have to show emotion? I do, anyway." He said, smirking.

"SMIRKING IS NOT AN EMOTION! I SWEAR, BY THE END OF THE DAY, I WILL GET SOMETHING BESIDES A SMIRK OUT OF YOU!" Sakura exploded, punching the ground, causing half of it to split. "Oops…" She mumbled, then quickly walked away, whistling.

"Good luck with that." Neji said.

The two walked in silence for a while more, and it wasn't a companionable one. It was more of an awkward silence than anything. Sakura was fuming, and Neji was slowly, with each step, moving away from the angry kunoichi so nobody would know he was with her.

Finally, they arrived at the warehouse. Neji opened the door and what happened next made Sakura laugh the hardest she had all day. A bunch of wreaths, ornaments, bells, and any other Christmas decorations came toppling out of the warehouse and on top of Neji.

Sakura doubled over laughing at his predicament, as he glared at her from the colorful bundle. His eyebrow twitched, and he frowned. He pushed himself up, but found he couldn't move from the pile.

"Awww…Does the prodigy Neji Hyuuga need help getting out from under all those _heavy_ decorations?" Sakura mocked him. She grinned when he glared, and offered him a hand. Grudgingly he took it, mostly because he had no choice.

Sakura jumped when a small spark went up her arm, making her feel all warm and fuzzy. Nonetheless, she tried to pull him out of the pile. Neji wouldn't budge from his position and Sakura sighed. Using both of her hands on one of his (earning another spark), she yanked him out. He broke free, a bunch of decorations flying everywhere. Sakura tripped backward from the force of her pull, and because Neji still had a hold of her hand, he fell down with her.

"Uh…" Sakura mumbled, blushing, when she realized the position they were in. Sakura was against the ground with Neji laying on top of her. Her hands were on the side of her head and one of Neji's hands was on hers. To top it off, a piece of mistletoe came floating down and landed on Neji's head. Neji tried to hold his composure, but a small bit of pink came floating to his cheeks.

"Right." He said, and stood up, brushing off the mistletoe. Like a gentlemen, he then offered Sakura his hand so she could get up. When she grabbed his hand somewhat shyly, it was Neji's turn to feel the small spark that left him feeling strangely happy. Sakura stood up and quickly dropped his hand.

"I guess…we should start bringing the stuff down!" Sakura said in an overly-cheery voice. _Is it hot in here or is it just me?_ She asked herself, fanning her hand around her face.

"Hn." Neji replied, picking up a wreath and placing the whole through his arm. He was too preoccupied to say anything else. _What the heck was that small spark thing that came into my arm? _He thought, frowning in thought. Sakura was next to him quickly picking up everything she could find. When Neji reached down to grab the next wreath, Sakura did at the same time, and their hands touched. Sakura pulled away immediately, blushing, and moved onto the next wreath.

_Ugh, this is so weird…_ She thought to herself, once again picturing the scene in her mind from when Neji had fallen on top of her. _Man, it is so hot out here!_ She thought, fanning herself again. It was 55 degrees outside; very cold weather. Not hot at all.

Sakura stepped into the warehouse and looked around. Her eyebrows shot up when she spotted two huge wheelbarrows in the corner.

"Hey Neji!" She called to him.

"What?" He said, coming a lot sooner than expected. She jumped and turned around.

"Look at those wheelbarrows! Do you think we could fit all this stuff into those without having to come back?" She asked, calculating in her mind the amount of decorations they had to carry and the capacity of the wheelbarrows.

"Yes, probably," He answered, and walked in to grab the one of the wheelbarrows. Sakura quickly followed and grabbed the other one. The two rolled them out and continued to pile stuff into the wheelbarrows.

After fifteen minutes of silent packing, the two were ready to walk back.

"Ready?" Sakura asked, and Neji nodded, balancing a wreath on an angel statue of some sort.

* * *

Sakura walked in silence, thinking. All of a sudden, her underwear felt…_wet_. _Oh, god, no! _Sakura said fearfully in her mind. Then she smelled it. _Blood_. She thought savagely, grimacing. _Not now! Please not now!_ She begged in her mind, looking through her pockets for something. She found nothing, not even any money to get anything. _I guess I have no choice_. She thought, gulping and looked at Neji.

"Neji…?" Sakura began cautiously. He looked over at her and his eyebrows raised when he noticed how uncomfortable she looked. "Do you have any money?" She asked.

"Yes. Why…?" He asked, pulling out exactly the right amount to purchase the very thing Sakura needed.

"Um…I need some…"Sakura said pathetically, reaching for it, but Neji pulled away.

"Why?" He asked in a confused tone.

"I'm…uh…bleeding…" Sakura tried.

"Where? Don't you have some bandages in your bag?" Neji asked, as his eyebrows shot up in _mild_ concern.

_Aww! He cares! Even if it's only a little bit!_ She thought in her mind. _No wait! Now's not the time to be thinking about that! You have more pressing matters at hand!_ She mentally scolded herself.

"Um…I don't need a bandage. Look, can I just have the money?" She asked, as she started to get even more wet.

"First, tell me why you need it." Neji said.

"I told you! I'm…_bleeding_." She said, putting an emphasis on bleeding, hoping he would get the hint. Finally, the so-called genius Neji, put two and two together.

"Oh. Here. I'll wait for you here." He said in a monotone, handing her they money quickly then backing away and flushing. Sakura hurried away to the nearest convenience store she could find, leaving Neji alone with the wheelbarrows.

Five minutes later, Sakura came back looking somewhat more cheerful but _extremely _embarrassed.

"Uh…Thanks for waiting, Neji…" Sakura said shyly, unsure of how to act.

"Uh huh. Let's just…go." He answered, not looking at her.

The rest of the way to the Ninja Academy was in silence, both ninjas thinking their own personal thoughts. Sakura was fuming in anger at her own body for embarrassing her like that and occasionally glancing at Neji, who was trying his best not to think about it. Once, he looked over at Sakura and she looked at him, but they both looked away quickly, blushing.

Finally, They got up to the roof and Gai-sensei was waiting for them patiently, strumming on a banjo and singing folk music.

"Um…Gai-sensei? What the heck are you doing?" Sakura asked, completely forgetting about the earlier situation and staring confusedly at the very strange sensei.

"Oh…Well hello there youthful students! I am singing the songs of life and love and youthfulness! Yosh!" He answered and threw his banjo down the side of the roof, where a cat meowed in annoyance. Neji's eyebrow twitched and he walked around his sensei, deciding not to run him over, pushing the wheelbarrow in front of him.

"Alright! Now that you're here! We can get started! Just hang up decorations

everywhere!" He said, sparkles in his eyes. "Okay bye!" He said cheerfully, jumping off the roof stupidly, and landing on the cat again, who by now was not in a good mood. "I'm okay!" He yelled back up.

"Okay. Wow. So should we get started?" Sakura asked, recovering from the extremely random events.

"Sure." Neji said. They started awkwardly at each other for a second, then walked to the opposite ends of the roof and started putting up decorations silently.

Pretty soon, they had gone around the edge of the roof, and were now nearing each other. "So…Neji…Are you close to your parents?" Sakura started, unaware of his predicament at his house.

"They're dead." He said shortly, occupying himself with his decorations.

"Hm…Do you miss them?" Sakura asked, looking intently at him, her hand paused as she was putting up mistletoe.

"…Yeah…" Neji said after a while. He was increasingly getting closer to her, unaware that she had stopped moving.

"Who do you miss most?" She asked.

"Both of them, of course. I…Miss my Dad a lot though. He was a great guy, and taught me that I can be free. From anything." He said haltingly, and paused, looking up to the sky as a bird flew overhead, and Neji gave a small smile.

Sakura watched him as the smile slowly unfurled from his lips. She grinned happily. "Ha! I did it! You just smiled! See, it wasn't so hard!" She laughed happily.

Neji looked at her, still half-smiling, caught up in the moment. "You smiled too." He stated.

"What are you talking about? I smile all the time!" She said indignantly.

"No, before you were just laughing to get me to smile. That was a true smile. It suits you better. Mostly because your always angry or yelling." He said, not looking at her.

Sakura was stunned into silence. "Well…Uh thanks. I'll…try to do that more often." She smiled shyly again. They looked at each other for a moment._ Wow. I never knew Neji could be so sweet…_ Sakura thought bewilderedly.

"Oh…Kay. Shall we continue?" She asked. Neji was now standing right next to her, looking at her hand with wide eyes, which was stretched over their heads. In her hand was the mistletoe. She looked up and saw what he saw, and blushed, withdrawing her hand quickly. "Don't want to put that there…" She laughed nervously.

"Alright. I'm gonna go finish this side." He pointed half-heartedly to one side of the roof.

"Okay…Yeah. Me too. Have fun." She smiled. Neji started to walk away from her, when she called his name. He turned to look at her.

"You should smile more, too. I mean…It _is _Christmas." She beamed, blushing. He stood looking at her, and slowly, a small smile crept up to his face. He then turned around and walked away, Sakura looking at his retreating back thoughtfully.

"Whew! That was weird!" She said to herself, then returned to putting up the mistletoe with a smile on her face, too.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Hope you liked! R&R if you want. Sorry again for the late update!**


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